Employment and Labor Law Counsel

Claims brought against employers by employees represent a large part of the cases filling our court's dockets. As a result, the attorneys at Houston Harbaugh, P.C., focus on assisting our clients to be positioned to avoid claims, and if the claims are brought, to be prepared to defend against them.

We are equipped to assist the wide spectrum of employment issues, including the following:

Interviewing and hiring practices

Non-compete and restrictive covenant agreements

Employee handbooks

Wage and hour issues

Discrimination claims

Employee discipline and discharge

Reductions in force

Labor/Union issues including bargaining, grievance and arbitration, and NLRB claims

Safety issues

Separation letters

Severance and release agreements

Unemployment compensation

Reference responses

Affirmative action programs

Training of managers in preventing problems

Employment Discrimination

We have a successful record in defending employers before federal and state courts, as well as federal and state government agencies both in and outside Pennsylvania, such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (PHRC) and the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) (and its divisions such as the Wage & Hour Division, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance, the Veterans Employment & Training Service).

Labor Matters

We are also active in the union arena, representing management in both union matters and union avoidance. We like to help employers do things right and efficiently so employees do not feel that they need protection from their employer. A notable portion of our clients have union represented workforces, thus we are regularly involved in labor arbitrations, NLRB administrative matters (including unfair labor practice charges, unit clarifications, and union certification and decertification elections), collective bargaining or union negotiations, as well as general advice and counsel on business decisions (e.g. subcontracting, reductions in force, changes in operational measures, purchases and divestitures).

Individual Representation In addition to representing employers, we also serve individuals in reviewing and negotiating employment contracts and non-compete agreements, both reviewing the terms and negotiating improvements to severance agreements, advising employees on the legality of pending or actual terminations, and bringing claims over employee terminations.

Now more than ever, it is critical that businesses and labor unions are proactive in addressing potential labor concerns. We provide assistance in drafting and reviewing employment agreements and policies as well as defending against claims when they arise. We work closely companies and labor unions to tailor employment and labor agreements to meet their unique needs.

For more information, call 412-281-5060 or send our employment law attorneys an e-mail by completing the contact form on this website.